The ruling BJP and its ally IPFT will contest the by-elections for the three-tier panchayat separately, fuelling speculation about fissures within the fledgling coalition, which in March ended the 25-year-long Left rule in the state.

By-elections on 3,207 seats of gram panchayats, 161 panchayat samitis and 18 zilla parishads will take place on September 30.

The seats fell vacant after large-scale resignations by elected public representatives since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) government came to power on March 9.